Gala/Kick-Off to Honor Noted AAMU Educator

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On Saturday, March 19, 2016, the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Family, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and individuals across Alabama and the nation will gather for "An Evening of Academia, Achievements, and the Arts" in honor of Dr. Virginia Caples, university professor and 1890 Extension administrator, who will retire on March 31 after 38 years of service. This event will also formally mark the kick-off of the endowment fund for the Virginia Caples Lifelong Learning Institute (VCLLI) named in her honor.

The Gala will be held in the T. M. Elmore Gymnasium (located behind the Ernest R. Knight Center) on the historic campus of Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. A reception will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. Individual tickets are $100 each and sponsorship tables seating 10 are $1,200 each. A portion of the proceeds will go toward establishing educational efforts at the Institute. Visit https://secure.qgiv.com/for/aau/ or www.aces.edu for other VCLLI endowment opportunities.

Some 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. By the year 2030, the number of Americans 65 years of age and older will more than double to 71.5 million, an estimated 20% of the population or 1 in 5 individuals. Unfortunately, many older minority, underserved, and limited-resource adults are being left behind in the aging process.

The purpose of the VCLLI is to close those socioeconomic gaps by providing stimulating, educational, social, and life-enhancing experiences for older adults. The VCLLI will also serve as a center to promote research and advocacy for issues that impact older adults, their families and caregivers, as well as provide intergenerational learning opportunities. It builds upon the current efforts of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Successful Aging Initiative.

With the opening of the VCLLI, Alabama A&M will join the ranks of a sister institution, Hampton University, and become the second historically black college and university and the first 1890 land-grant institution in the nation to address the opportunity to celebrate learning and advance the quality of life for one of our richest resources, Alabama’s older adult population.